Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Wednesday announced that a task force would soon be set up to find ways for the state to gradually get out of the unprecedented lockdown. Addressing a video conference of the state's leading industrialists, the Chief Minister also assured the industry of all support by the government to address critical issues and challenges in this difficult time. Taking to Twitter, Singh also said that the state Cabinet will discuss and take a decision on the extension of lockdown and curfew in its meeting scheduled on April 10. "Interacted over video confere

There are 19,291 confirmed and presumptive cases in Canada. Quebec: 10,031 confirmed (including 175 deaths, 827 resolved) Ontario: 5,276 confirmed (including 174 deaths, 2,074 resolved) Alberta: 1,423 confirmed (including 29 deaths, 519 resolved) British Columbia: 1,336 confirmed (including 48 deaths, 838 resolved) Nova Scotia: 342 confirmed (including 1 death, 77 resolved) Saskatchewan: 271 confirmed (including 3 deaths, 88 resolved) Newfoundland and Labrador: 232 confirmed (including 2 deaths, 74 resolved) Manitoba: 206 confirmed (including 3 deaths, 69 resolved), 15 presumptive N

Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart says local governments across Canada are facing significant financial pressures due to COVID-19. He says Vancouver is bleeding money and the city expects to see a 50 per cent reduction in non-city property tax revenues between March and May, which equates to losses of $4 million to $5 million per week. Stewart is calling on the B.C. government to expand it's provincial property tax deferment program to include all residents, businesses and non-profit agencies to help bridge the gap. He's also asking the province for an emergency grant of up to $200 million so V

Provincial health officer Doctor Bonnie Henry is reporting five more deaths from COVID-19 in B.C. including three residents of long-term care or assisted living facilities. Henry says another resident has died amid an outbreak at the Lynn Valley care centre and the other two deaths occurred at a care home with no previous fatalities. She says the province has recorded 45 new cases for a total of 1,336, including 48 deaths. The number of hospitalizations is down slightly but Henry says people need to stay home over the Easter weekend to limit the spread of the virus.

The number of inmates who have tested positive for COVID-19 has jumped to 35, with outbreaks in four federal institutions. There are 11 positive cases at the Mission Institution in British Columbia. Quebec has outbreaks at the Joliette Institution, where 10 prisoners have COVID-19, and at the Port-Cartier prison, where seven are sick. There are also seven positive cases at the Grand Valley Institution for Women in Ontario.

People returning to British Columbia from other countries will be required to present self-isolation plans or they will be placed in quarantine. The government says it will have officials in place starting Friday at Vancouver International Airport and major land border crossings to make sure the plans are complete. Premier John Horgan says forms will be available online to help travellers, and those arriving by air will be given the document. The document can be submitted online or completed on arrival, and must indicate how returning travellers plan to keep themselves in self-isolation for 1

Air Canada, which has cut roughly half its Canadian workforce, says it will apply for Ottawa's emergency wage subsidy program and retain or return affected employees to its payroll for the program term. The airline announced last month it would cut about 16,500 jobs as part of a cost reduction program due to the COVID-19 pandemic and imposition of global travel restrictions. Air Canada says that depending on wage levels, many employees will receive more under the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy program than they would from employment insurance plus they will maintain their health insurance and

Ontario is reporting 550 new COVID-19 cases today, the biggest single-day increase so far, including 21 new deaths. The new provincial total of 5,276 includes 174 deaths and 2,074 resolved. The number of people in hospital dropped since Tuesday, from 614 to 605, but more people are now in intensive care and on ventilators. A backlog of pending tests that had nearly been cleared has now grown, and is up to more than 1,100.

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland says Canada's ties with the US have always required constant upkeep, but are now getting what she calls ``constant gardening'' to keep supply lines open. She says Canadian diplomats are repeating the message that the U-S needs Canada as much as Canada needs the US. This morning, the US issued draft rules stating companies will be allowed to fill existing orders for foreign clients, provided 80 per cent of their domestic production was allocated to the US market over the previous 12 months.